Frostbite in Florida
by HeartlessVampireGirl
Summary: Frostbite is a girl with a dark past who has to help her best friend, Mullet Fingers, save the burrowing owls. ADOPTED FROM FROSTY THE BAT!
1. Chapter 1: Frosty

Disclaimer: I do not own any of this really. THIS WAS ADOPTED FROM FROSTY THE BAT!

Chapter One: Frosty

The mud made a weird squelching noise as it pushed in between my toes as I walked along the riverbed. A light breeze picked up but it didn't take away the heat of the Florida sun. The moss-coated rocks at the bottom of the river were smooth from many years of being pushed around by the water, but my footing never faltered.

A manatee bobbed at the surface a few yards in front of me in the deeper part of the river, but it was just checking me out. No aggression what so ever. It's beady eyes watched my every move then it ducked back under the water to feed.

I picked up speed until I was racing through the clear water. The splashing sounds I made frightened a brightly colored bird from a tree, but I didn't slow to see what kind it was. My baggy tan shorts were beginning to get soaked at the bottoms from the water my feet kicked up, and the light green tanktop was starting to stick to my torso. I welcomed the cool moisture as it soaked my legs; it was getting hotter by the minute.

I had to be a strange sight for anybody's eyes: a teenage girl with shoulder-length, spiky, ink black hair, dark blue eyes, and pale skin only just slightly on the tan side. She's wearing too big shorts -held up by a braid of rope-, a tight tank, and no shoes. Yep. Very strange.

But I was no ordinary girl going for a run in a Florida river; I was a girl on a mission.

Quickly switching course, I ran up a log that had fallen in a slant into the forest. I followed a trail, which was only visible to those who would actually stop and look, and headed toward my destination: Mother Paula's Pancake House construction site.

My legs were just starting to burn when I reached the site, and I narrowed my eyes at the trailer that sat in the middle of a fenced-in section of the area. As I quietly sucked in much needed air, I stooped down and walked cautiously toward the fence.

_Hoot._

"Hey, little guy." I peered through the fence at the tiny burrowing owl who had come to the surface to see its visitor. "Everything's going to be okay." I gripped the fence tightly for a couple moments, then pulled away forcefully, making the fence sway and ring. The door to the trailer swung open just as I had taken shelter under one of the bulldozers that were parked a couple meters away.

The balding man who resided in the trailer glared at the exact spot I had been in. "I know you're out there!" he called, coaxing me to come out of hiding. "There ain't nothing you can do to stop us from eating pancakes!"

_Pancakes? I'm trying to save my friends!_

I held my breath and waited until the man went back into the trailer before crawling out from under the bulldozer. I hesitated a couple moments then sprinted across the clearing as fast as my legs could carry me.

The man did not come out again.

Relieved, I took off once again at a brisk jog. I skimming the side the town; I wanted to avoid as many people as possible. I headed toward the golf course, where my human friend lived, as least I hoped he still lived there.

Several men were playing a game when I got there. I ignored their shouts of anger as I race right past their golf cart and made a bee-line to the woods. I quickly slid in amongst the trees and slowed my pace so I wouldn't trip over any fallen limbs or fall into a puddle.

As I neared my friend's campsite, the rustling of a plastic bag stopped me in my tracks. Someone was in his hiding place, and it was not my friend; he would not deliberately make noise. I silently crept to the campsite and glared at the person who was snooping through my friend's belongings.

He was probably my age or my friend's and had short dark brown hair and light blue eyes. He was wearing khaki shorts and a red and blue striped shirt and sneakers. In his light tan hands was a cloth bag that was wriggling ominously.

I held my breath as he turned the bag upside-down and dumped out at least seven cottonmouths with glittery tails. The kid must have been too scared to notice that the snakes' mouths were taped shut, making them completely harmless.

"I wouldn't move if I were you," growled a low, menacing voice that I knew was fake. "On the count of three, step away."

The dark-haired kid froze, eyes wide with terror. "Are you kidding me?"

"One."

I silently willed the kid to move. _Don't make my friend angry._

"Two."

_Is this kid stupid or something?_

"Three."

The kid still didn't move.

"Three," the voice snarled, and my friend appeared from the foliage behind the kid to my right. He snatched the kid by his shoulders and yanked him away from the snakes. Being a little too forceful in my opinion, he tossed the kid to the ground, shoved the cloth bag over his head, and tied his hands behind his back.

"Who are you and why are you here?"

"I'm sorry. I'm not here to hassle you. My name is Roy."

My friend yanked the kid to his feet. "You had better get out of here, now ." He tugged him away from the campsite. "Let's go."

"Why do you have poisonous snake?"

"That's for me to know. So just leave me alone."

I followed, as silent as frost on a window, to the edge of the forest.

My friend pushed the boy in the direction of the golf course house. "Start walkin' and don't turn around until you've reach fifty."

As the kid took off, my friend vanished back into the trees.

"Don't you think you were being a little too harsh?" I called out, returning to the site a couple meters from my friend. "I mean, come on, Mullet Fingers, at least let the kid investigate."

The blond runaway halted in his tracks and slowly turned his head in my directions. "I thought you were long gone," he murmured.

I smirked, walked over to him, and threw an arm around his shoulders. "Nice greeting."

Mullet Fingers flashed a grin, revealing teeth almost identical to mine, bright white and even; the only difference was that my upper canines were longer than average. "You're such a pain." He shrugged off my arm and lead the way to his campsite. "How'd you find me?"

I sat on the log beside the dead campfire. "Oh, come on, Mullet, it's painfully obvious. You choose a spot that kept you hidden but close to the construction site so you could cause trouble."

The blonde settled beside me and watched the cottonmouths slither away. "They're going to kill the owls."

"I know." I brushed a leaf out of my hair. "Looks like you'll have to get more snakes." A cottonmouth crept toward my feet, and I nudged it away with my right foot. "Go away," I hissed, willing it to leave me alone; after a couple seconds it decided I wasn't very tempting prey and moved on. "Who was that kid anyway?"

Mullet Fingers shrugged. "I don't know. He followed me the other day, but didn't get past the golf course." He chuckled softly. "I think a golfer got him."

"Eight-iron?"

"I think." He sighed and leaned against the tree behind us. "I'm guessing you've seen the owls?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I was just at the construction site. They are so beautiful; why would someone want to kill them?"

"Pancakes." Mullet Fingers answered all questions with a single word. "We don't have much time, Frosty."

"I know."

A/N: For the most part, the first couple of chapters will be exactly like Frosty the Bat's story. For the people who read my Lightning Thief story, so sorry, but I'm on a writer's block right now, so I decided to write this (which was pretty much already written for me). Bye!


	2. Chapter 2: Stars

Chapter Two: Stars

I winced slightly as the cottonmouth curled up defensively in my lap. "I hate you," I growled at Mullet Fingers, trying my best to ignore the angered snake.

"Love you too, Frostbite." Mullet Fingers chuckled and passed me the tape. "You have to hold them by the back of the head and the end of the tail, or they'll try to hit you."

Forcing back a scowl, I did as I was told then shoved the newly reinforced snake into the cloth bag. "Hey, Mullet Fingers?"

"Yeah?"

"Since the grapevine is so thin nowadays, I heard something about someone putting alligators in the port-a-potties at the construction site." I turned to him and narrowed my eyes when he turned away guiltily. "That wouldn't have been you, would it?"

Mullet Fingers sighed. "I just want to save the owls." He looked at me, blue eyes shimmering with emotion. "They're an endangered species, so I need to protect them; they're a part of Florida, just like you and me."

I echoed his sigh and kicked a stone away from me. It struck the bag and the snakes inside began to squirm. "I want to save them just as mush as you do, Mullet, but we're just two runaway kids. We can't do this alone." I lowered my gaze to the ground, draped my arms over my knees, and growled quietly.

"Beatrice cares for the owls as well, but she won't even try to stall the workers."

I heard him shift his wild blonde hair with his hand. "No one else will help?" Rolling my shoulders and hearing them pop, I sat up then leaned against Mullet Fingers' shoulder. I could feel him breathe softly, as if he were deep in thought, and murmured, "So what is the plan for tonight?"

Mullet Fingers shrugged the shoulder I wasn't on. "I was thinkin' 'bout spray-painting the trailer's windows or something like that."

"Hmm..." I closed my eyes and breathed through my nose. The wonderful scents of Florida overpowered my senses, and I sighed in happiness. _This place needs to be preserved,_ I thought with a mental sigh. _But it will take more than me and Mullet Fingers to do the job._ "Why won't Beatrice help?"

"Scared of getting caught."

I chuckled under my breath. "Why doesn't that surprise me?" I lightly pushed off Mullet Fingers' shoulder and sat up. I stretched my arms over my head and yawned. "Stars, I've been running all day."

"Now, why doesn't _that_ surprise me?" Mullet Fingers laughed heartily, gently pressing him palm onto the middle of my back and pushing me forwards. "Take a quick nap, then get ready."

"Thanks, buddy."

(**Four Hours Later**)

The cans of spray paint clanged lightly against each other as Mullet Fingers raced through the forest to the construction site. I was right on his heel, my near entire arsenal of mischief-making items in a black bag on my back. Our footsteps were silent because this path was very familiar to us; the only sounds we made were the cans and the gentle thudding of the bag against my back.

We shot through the trees at full speed. When the path widened, I increased my speed until I was running side by side with Mullet Fingers, our arms brushing as we ran. I didn't know exactly what we were doing, but I knew that Mullet Fingers had a plan.

"So what are we going to do?" I whispered, not taking my eyes off the winding path.

"I'm not sure yet," he answered.

_So much for having a plan._

As we neared the site, we slowed our pace until we came to an abrupt stop at the edge of the area. Everything was quiet, and the only lights on were in the trailer. No chance of painting those windows.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something white sitting at the edge of the clearing, partially hidden in the shadows. With closer inspection I recognized a Coconut Cove police cruiser. "Hey."

"What?" Mullet Fingers shifted in the dark beside me.

"Police cruiser," I muttered, pointing at the car. "Looks like the cop is dead."

Mullet Fingers didn't say anything but began to stalk toward the car. I followed closely, glancing at the trailer every few seconds, and the fear of getting caught gripped my body. My legs locked and I stood perfectly still, too afraid to move. The blood pounding in my ears blocked out all other sound, except for my own breathing, which was getting harsher with each moment. I locked my vision on the trailer door, imagining the man coming out, catching us in the act, and dragging us to the police department where we will be separated. I didn't want to get caught and knew that if I stayed still any longer I would be, but I couldn't move.

"Frostbite." Mullet Fingers appeared in my very small field of vision. "Hey, snap out of it." He waved a hand in front of my face, and I blinked. "You all right?"

I shook my head panicked. "We're gonna get caught. We're gonna get caught!"

Mullet Fingers put the bag on the ground and grabbed my shoulders in a gentle, but strong grip. "Hey, Frosty, calm down. We're not gonna get caught, okay?" He drew closer until his face was barely three inches from my own. "Just breathe. We're gonna be okay."

I slowed my breathing until it was at regular speed and blinked a few times. "I just... I just don't want to get caught."

My friend flashed a smile that glowed in the darkness. "Do you trust me, Frosty?"

"Y-Yeah."

"Then we won't get caught." He released his grip on me and picked up the bag. "Come on." Mullet Fingers draped an arm across my shoulders and guided me to the cop car.

When we reached it, Mullet Fingers left me for a couple seconds to check on the officer inside it. He returned, a grin present on his face. "You were right; he's asleep."

I nodded, finally getting a grip on my terror, and held a hand out. Mullet Fingers dug a hand into the bag, pulled out a can of black spray paint, and gave it to me. I shook it and winced as the ball inside the can banged against the top and bottom. I waited for Mullet Fingers to grab a can then we tiptoed to the car.

"You get this side and the back window," Mullet Fingers whispered in my ear. "I'll get the other side and the front." He paused then added, "Be careful, Frostbite."

"'Kay." Being as quiet as frost, I edged closer to the car and raised the can. I pushed down the nozzle and started working.

Once we were done we headed back to the golf course. By now everyone was gone. The sky was an indigo color with millions of tiny dots imprinted on it and the moon was as thin as a willow branch, letting off a dull light and giving the course a ghostly appearance. We walked side by side across the close cut green grass to the forest. The silence was deafening, but it wasn't uncomfortable; we were just thinking about the trick we had just pulled.

"Spray painting the cop car is not going to stop them," I murmured, breaking the silence. "It may stall them, but it won't stop them." I heard Mullet Fingers sigh heavily and knew I had burst his bubble.

"I know, but at least we bought some time. Now we can think of something even better."

I stopped in my tracks and turned my gaze upwards at the thin moon. "You'll never back down, will you, Mullet Fingers?" I heard him take a deep breath as if he were about to speak, but I cut him off, "Neither will I, and you know that." I shoved my hands in the front pockets of my jeans and threw a hasty glance behind us. No one was behind us, but I wasn't all the way convinced.

"You know, Frost, I'm thinking about using those snakes."

Rolling my eyes, I switched my gaze from the moon to my best friend. He was staring off in the distance, a look of deep thought on his face. "We need to think out a plan," I said after a short pause. "'Cause tonight, ah, you really didn't have one. Painting the windows of the cop car was just a spur of the moment move."

"I know," Mullet Fingers answered with a laugh. "Gosh, you're startin' to sound like my sister." He nudged me with his elbow and smiled.

"I'm taking that as an insult."

My blonde friend's laughter filled the night air. "Don't worry. At least you don't look like her."

I ran my fingers through my pitch black hair and blinked. "Thank goodness." I tugged on a couple strands of my bangs, released them and smiled. "I like my black hair."

"Do you have a place to stay tonight?"

"No, and not for tomorrow night or the night after that or the night after that and beyond." Sighing, I looked my bare feet, paler than normal against the dark grass. I felt Mullet Fingers' hand touch my shoulder and glanced up at him.

"You can stay with me," he said.

"Thanks, Mullet Fingers."

His smile widened. "Ya know I would do anything for my best friend."

I scoffed at him. "I'm your only friend, idiot."

Mullet Fingers laughed as he lead the way to his campsite.

A/N: Wow, I'm getting these out pretty quick. I must be really bored then (stayed home for school *cough* sick *cough* lying *cough* . . .No one heard that.


	3. Chapter 3: One Day Vacation

Chapter Three: One Day Vacation

The sun was well beyond the horizon when my brain finally decided to wake my body up. I blinked in the dull green light the forest seemed to create and yawned into my pillow.

_I hate Mondays...or Tuesdays..._

Closing my eyes, I nuzzled my warm pillow, which happened to be Mullet Fingers' back. Last night we had fallen asleep beside each other, so I must have rolled over to rest on him. He was comfortable, there's no doubt about that. His breathing was calming, especially when the golfers began to yell at each other about what club to use and where their ball had gone. Maybe Mullet Fingers and I should go out and steal all the balls and toss them in the lake. I smiled slightly into my friend's back.

"Stop it," Mullet Fingers grumbled, shifting under my small weight. "That tickles."

I chuckled silently then reached out to ruffle his blonde hair. "Tough luck, Mullet." I slid my fingers through his tangled hair, working out kinks with my blunt nails and untangling the ends. "When I'm not here, who takes care of you?"

"Myself," he answered in a 'let me sleep more' voice. "Beatrice looks after me occasionally, but that's it." He sighed and started to shift more.

I rolled off him as he propped himself up on his elbow. I sat up and help up my torso by planting my palms into the ground behind me. Dust and leaf debris littered my shorts and tank top, and I didn't mind; it could have been something worse, like mud or dead things. I breathed deeply to prevent my mouth from splitting apart in a wide yawn.

Mullet Fingers rose to his feet and stretched, making his shirt ride up and flash his flat stomach. He yawned as he lowered his arms, popped his knuckles, and extended a hand to help me up. "We're gonna go for a drive."

Smirking, I accepted his hand and allowed him to pull me to my feet. "And where are we going, my dearest friend?'

He smiled. "Just come on."

Once we had changed and did our morning things, we exited the forest opposite the side of the golf course that faced the ocean. We chatted idly as we walked toward the Coconut Cove boat ramps; since neither of us had a car, we were going for a drive in a boat. We didn't see anything strange when we raced through the town, avoiding people and trying to become invisible to the naked eye, except for one thing: a three-wheeled cop car about the size of a port-a-potty. It took all I had not to burst out laughing at the sight, which would have been good for my system, especially after Mullet Fingers told me he had left again in the night to pull up the stakes at the site; he had left me, and I wasn't happy about it.

I slowed down until I was half a pace behind him. Frostbite the rebel wild child. I followed him to the dock where he kept his small metal boat and hopped into it before Mullet Fingers. As soon as he was in the boat with me, I turned away from him.

The boat vibrated softly below me when Mullet Fingers started the engine and rocked when he pushed us away from the dock. Mullet Fingers sat beside me on the wooden seat and steered the boat away from the dock into the cove.

"You okay, Frost?"

I grumbled under my breath, slouched my shoulders, and looked out over the blue water.

"Look, I'm sorry I left you behind," Mullet Fingers said with a sigh, "but you were tired. You can't deny that." He leaned over and brushed his shoulder against mine. His voice was soothing to my anger, and I felt myself lean against his side fully.

"I forgive you," I murmured then suddenly pulled away. "But just this once."

Mullet Fingers laughed loudly at my change of mood. "You are so weird, Frostbite."

I sighed loudly; a dramatic effect. "You know you love me."

"A little too much." Mullet Fingers turned the boat toward the river that flowed through the forest and ended at the ocean.

A comforting silence enveloped us as we floated down the river. No words could express the beauty of the forest around us or the atmosphere that calmed all terrible emotions and filled the air with a very noticeable ease.

Birds of various colors and sizes were sitting on trees hanging over the river and took off in a blur of color when we neared them. Several small reddish-brown deer poked their heads out of the trees to check us out and dipped down to get a drink when they realized we were not a threat. A medium-sized alligator swam up beside the boat and nudged it with his nose, but that's all it did. The water was clear enough I could easily see the bottom and the tiny fish that swam near it.

Mullet Fingers pointed out a group of mullet, leaned over the edge of the boat, and caught one. He sat up straight and held the fish out for me to see.

"I'll never stop amusing me." I reached out and stroked the shiny fish that struggled in Mullet Fingers' grip, flicking its tail every few seconds. I smiled as Mullet Fingers placed his hand in the water and released the small fish.

"Swim fast, little buddy," he called after the mullet.

I chuckled softly at the wild blonde. "You're crazy, Mullet."

The blonde smiled. "Yeah, I know. My sister reminds me every time I see her."

A sigh escaped from my lips, and I couldn't help but allow my smile to widen.

_The wild children of Florida._

(**One Hour Later**)

"I thought you left the state, Frostbite. What are you doing back?"

"That's a nice welcome, Beatrice."

The tension in the air grew so thick someone could cut it with a dull spoon. I was standing on one side of the campfire, hands clenched into fists, and eyes narrowed. Beatrice, Mullet Fingers' step-sister, was in an almost identical position except her arms were crossed over her chest.

"Why couldn't you stay away, huh?" Beatrice demanded. "Did you come back just to hassle my brother?"

"Why would I hassle your brother?" I growled, uncurling and re-curling my fists. "He's the only friend I have in the whole effin' world! I came back because I heard that they were going to put a Mother Paula's House on the burrowing owls' ground." I blinked slowly, so I could try to contain my anger.

Beatrice wasn't convinced. "Leave my brother alone!"

I glowered at the impulsive blonde. _How can Mullet Fingers put up with her?_

"Hey! What's going on?" Mullet Fingers appeared from the forest beside me. "Is everything okay?"

A flash of sadness shot through my body; I knew I couldn't stick around, especially when Beatrice 'the Bear' was going to be so protective of her nature boy brother. I lowered my anger barrier and took a step back.

Mullet Fingers was suddenly in between me and Beatrice. "What's wrong?"

I took another step back. "I-I've got to go, Mullet Fingers."

He turned his blue eyes to me. "Go where?"

_I can't do this._

Without a backwards glance, I turned on my heel and shot out of the campsite. I could hear Mullet Fingers behind me, calling my name and running through the forest after me, but I pressed on. I lengthened my stride, gained speed, and easily got away from my ex-friend.

"Frostbite!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So sorry this has taken so long to update! Sorry to you, too, Frosty the Bat! I might be able to update sooner than I have been (like, tomorrow or the day afterwards). My Eternity sequel has been placed on a permanent hiatus until further notice, for people who read it. I just haven't been feeling like writing it. Sorry, again!**


	4. Chapter 4: I'm Sorry

**Chapter Four: I'm Sorry**

**Warning: Characters are a little OOC**

I finally ceased my running when I reached the river on the opposite side of the forests of the construction site. My legs were burning and my skin was coated in a thin layer of sweat. Exhausted, I settled down on a fallen log laying across the width of the river. I couldn't take it; the look in Beatrice's eyes when she saw me. It hurt very, very much.

_Idiot. How can you let Beatrice get to you?_

I hissed under my breath and dipped my toes in the water below. A shiver of hatred shifted my spine.

_Why am I so afraid?_

Curling up and drawing it back, I slammed my fist down on the tree, splintering the wood and cutting my hand. I could feel chips shove themselves into my skin, but I ignored the pain. The deep throbbing in my broken heart was too great.

_I can't stay here. But I can't leave the owls to be buried alive. What the hell am I gonna do?_

I sighed, shoved myself off the log and headed back to Coconut Cove. My feet were near bleeding once I reached the town and I went to the nearest convenience store to get some snacks for breakfast.

The bell made a cute little _ding_ when I pushed open the door. The smell of spilt soda and burnt pizza met my nose, and it took all my strength not to cringe. The cashier, a girl of early twenty wearing too much making up and chomping on bubble gum, was staring at me as if I were a bug of some sort and was deciding whether she should squish me or not. I shot her a look that announced _I am a rabid squirrel and I want my cookies!_

I slid into the aisles until I found my treasure: Oreo Cookies! (**available six in one pack!**) I snatched two packs off the shelf and went to the counter.

"Is that all?" the woman drawled in a bored tone.

"I believe so," I muttered, narrowing me eyes as she eyed me up and down. "You got a problem?"

She smiled, revealing teeth that I knew were bleached with household products. "It's a shame you have to buy cookies when you can't buy respectable clothes."

My eyes widened for a second then relaxed. "Well, it's a shame you have to wear so much make-up it scares away the clientele." I felt a smirk plant itself on my face as the cashier's mouth puckered and she rang up my items.

"Two sixty-eight."

I reached into one of the pockets of my shorts and easily slid a five dollar bill out. I handed it over and the woman gave me my change. "Thank you," I said in a overly-cheerful voice and a fake smile. I fought back laughter as she tried, keyword TRIED, to smile back. I swiped the cookies off the counter and left the store without another word.

As soon as I stepped back into the sunlight my cookies left my hand.

"Hey!"

"Thanks for the cooks, cookie dough."

Whipping around, I came face to face with a behemoth of a kid wearing baggy pants, which were probably falling off his butt, and a rather tight neon green shirt. His skin was bright red as if he was hanging out in the sun too much. In one of his beefy hand were my cookies, possibly smooshed to oblivion.

"Yo! I didn't buy those for you! Hand'em over!"

His smiled; I almost threw up. "Now, why would I give you _my_ cookies, doll?" He gestured to my body with his other hand. "You don't need them if you want to keep that very, very sexy figure."

My mouth dropped open halfway and was lopsided, like an open-mouth smirk. "Excuse me?"

He smiled wider. "I'm sorry. You're right; sexy does not even begin to cover-"

His words were cut off by my fist in his stomach. I withdrew my fist as he doubled-over and blasted me with breath that smelled like a rotting roadkill. I swallowed the bile that was rising in my throat. Taking the chance, I snatched my cookies from his weakened grasp and took off running.

(**Thirty Minutes Later**)

I was sitting on the dock that was closest to the ocean looking out over the big blue puddle, cookies long gone. I had bandaged my hand, which had began to promptly bleed about fifteen minutes ago. My feet were dangled over the edge and my toes barely skimmed the water when I swung my feet.

Brushing the cookie crumbs off my shorts, I hastily rose to my feet and stared at the ocean. I spotted a small group of dolphins shooting out of the water several hundred yards from the shore. Unconsciously, I wondered what it would be like to live with the dolphins; I'd never be alone, always had someone by my side, had plenty of food and water, and could sleep wherever I wanted.

Have friends by your side no matter what.

I brushed a tear away from my face and sighed softly.

Soft footfalls behind me caught my attention for a moment, but I continued to watched the big puddle. I was shocked into alertness when an arm wrapped itself around my waist and its partner snaked right under my chest.

"Why did you run?"

I almost smiled at the familiar voice. It was him, my dolphin, my friend. "I had to."

"No you didn't." Warm breath caressed the skin when my neck fused with the rest of my body. "You could have stayed." Soft, plushy lips rested against the base of my neck. "I wouldn't have let her do anything to you." Another gentle kiss on a bare part of my shoulder. "You know that."

_What is he on?_ _I have _never _seen this side of him before._ "What have you been smoking?"

He laughed quietly, his warm breath cascading onto and over my shoulder. "Nothing." The hand that was closer to my jeans lifted my tank up a couple inches and gently stroked the bare skin. "You're warm," he commented, rubbing my sensitive skin with his fingertips.

"Hmm..." I leaned into his touch, my back resting against his chest, and reached a hand back to bury it in his blonde hair. "Where's your sister?" My fingers wove into his blonde locks, tugging playfully, and I leaned my head on his shoulder. I lifted my chin and placed my lips on the underpart of his jaw.

"Not here," he whispered in my ear.

I closed my eyes.

"I'm sorry."

* * *

><p><em>AN: Okay! I posted this at 1 in the morning (be happy). Just because I promised you guys would get this today (technically yesterday, but who cares)! My teeth feel weird... Oh sorry, just got my braces off and I got my retainer... Enough about the teeth! The 5th chapter will be posted a few moments after this! Yes, I'm that nice (actually, I thought the 5th chapter was part of the 4th... Oops)_


	5. Chapter 5: A Kiss to Seal the Deal

**Chapter 5: A Kiss to Seal the Deal**

"There's no reason to be sorry," Mullet Fingers whispered softly then gently touched his lips to my cheek; a feather-like touch that left my heart racing.

A miniature smile twitched at the corners of my mouth. "Yes, there is," I argued in a hushed tone. "I'm sorry for running away and leaving you to deal with the wrath of your sister." I was startled when my blonde friend chuckled deep in his throat. "What's so funny?"

"Do you honestly think I listen to my sister when she yells at me?"

I shook my head. "No." That was a stupid explanation for feeling sorry for myself; maybe I should have said something along the lines of '_I'm leaving Florida again... I hope you save the owls.' _or _'Don't follow me! I'm going far away!'_ I mentally shook my head. I can't leave Mullet Fingers, now that the owls are in danger and I have finally returned to the one place I truly belonged.

"I have a mission tonight." Mullet Fingers' voice jolted my mind free from my thoughts of leaving my friends, again. "But you're not going."

"What?" I disentangled myself from Mullet Fingers' warm grasp and turned on my heel to stare at him with wide eyes. "Why not?" I demanded, crossing my arms over my chest.

Mullet Fingers sighed heavily and looked me dead in the eye; his own blue orbs were sparkling with mischief, yet glazed with the torture of leaving his friend behind. "I don't want you to get hurt," he murmured in a voice I had to strain my ears to hear. "Some guy brought a couple dogs to guard the construction site. I'm going to take the snakes and try to scary the mutts away with them." He rubbed his shoulder guiltily. "I just don't want you to get bit or something, so I'm asking you to please, please stay away from the site tonight."

I heaved a soft sigh, shaking my head a little. "You know I can't let you do this alone."

"Come on , Frostbite, please, for me?" He blinked then closed the gap between us once again to envelop me in a warm and loving embrace. Burying his face in my hair, he mumbled, "I can't let anything happen to you."

My arms hung uselessly at my sides because I did not return the hug. Instead, I stood there as if I had been petrified. My emotions were in an uproar: anger for him not allowing me to go, fear for what could happen to him and the owls, and joyfulness that he was thinking of my safety. "What about you?" I asked. "Do you promise to be safe?"

"I'll try to be," he promised.

_Gotta kill time. Gotta kill time. Gotta kill ti- Mullet Fingers had better be careful. Gotta kill time. Gotta kill time._

I growled darkly at myself.

_Gotta stop thinking about killing time._

Coconut Cove was quiet, apart from a few dogs barking when I dashed past their yards and cars traveling along the streets. A gentle breeze stirred the leaves of the palms, and I could hear the steady beating of the waves slamming onto the shore. The sky was a deep purple-blue, signaling the death of the sun for the day. No clouds cluttered the horizon, but I knew that this peaceful evening held a dark secret, as if it were planning to help something else hurt a creature that was living and breathing on this earth.

I shivered and tugged the black jacket Mullet had given me closer to my body, wishing I had worn my jeans instead of a pair of short blue jean shorts. My bare feet were not cold because I had spent so long running around without shoes on that I was immune to cold in the lowest story of my body.

"Hey!"

My body froze in mid stride, and it took all my balance not to fall over onto my face.

"Frostbite!"

I turned my head slowly, catching sight of the kid I saw a few days ago heading straight toward me. Knowing how naive he was, I twisted the rest of my body around to face him. "Don't you know better than to yell someone's name on such a quiet night?" I scolded once he was in a decent hearing range.

"Sorry," he said, running a hand through his brown hair. "Have you seen Mullet Fingers?"

"He said he had a mission."

"He's at the construction site, isn't he?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "He didn't really tell me where he was going," I lied; I wasn't going to give this hide-out snooping punk much information about my best friend. "All he said was that he was on a mission."

"Aren't you afraid he might get hurt, Frostbite?" The kid's blue-green eyes were filled with worry, so obviously he had met my friend before, without a bag over his head. He began to fiddle with the bottom of his blue striped T-shirt as he waited for my answer.

"Of course I am," I snapped. "I'm his best friend." I eyed him as suspicion flared inside me. "And how the hell do you know my name?"

"Beatrice," was his simple answer. "She said that you were trying to provoke Mullet Fingers into leaving again and to stay away from you."

I curled my lips in the beginnings of a snarl. "That's a lie! I would never hassle Mullet; his my only friend in the entire world. He took me in when no one else would, and that's only because I'm a wild child runaway just like him." My hands balled themselves into tight fists and I ignored the pain as my fingernails dug into my palm. "Whatever Beatrice says about me is totally wrong. Who are you anyway?"

The boy stuck out his hand. "I'm Roy Eberhart. I just moved here about a week ago."

With somewhat great reluctance, I shook his hand. "Nice to meet you." I glanced at the sky when he released my hand and noticed that the sun had completely gone down. "I need to go."

"Do you have someplace to stay tonight?"

"I stay with Mullet Fingers," I replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

"But you don't know when he's going to get home," Roy argued. "You can stay at my place, just for tonight, if you like."

"Thanks, but no thanks." A pang of regret struck my heart when I saw the sadness in his ocean orbs. This guy was caring enough to offer a stray girl shelter for the night so she didn't have to sleep under a porch, which was just what she was intending to do. "I guess it'll be okay," I muttered, "but just for this one night."

Roy immediately brightened up and nodded enthusiastically. "Come on. My house is this way."

_Roy,_

_Thanks a bunch for letting me stay at your house. I swear that was the softest floor I have ever slept on. Sorry I wasn't here when you got up, but I had to get back to the blonde nature boy. Hopefully he hadn't received a bite or something..._

_Later,_

_Frostbite_

_P.S._

_I wrote this at six in the morning. Teehee..._

"How could you get bit?"

"My arm got stuck."

"That looks so infected." I held his arm up by the wrist and examined the bitten flesh closer. The skin was a nasty yellowish-green color with two puncture holes about two to three inches apart. The area outside of the yellow-green was a deep shade of red that was pulsing with heat. "Oh, Mullet..."

The blonde hissed when I gently stroked a finger down the infected area and tried to shift away from me. "Please...don't touch it."

"Sorry," I whispered then set his arm down on the bed. "Only you, Mullet Fingers, could try to save the owls and get the hell bit out of you by a dog." There was no humor in my voice, only pure seriousness.

"Lecture me later."

"Nope. I'm leaving that to your sister."

Mullet Fingers shivered; I couldn't tell if it was from the wrath of his deranged sister or the bite. He moved his arm closer to his body and gave a small cry when it grazed the sheets. "It hurts, Frost," he whimpered, nearly shattering my heart.

Murmuring apologies even though it wasn't my fault he got bit, I scrambled over his legs to reach the other side of the bed. I lowered myself beside him and rested my head on the pillow beside him. "I know it hurts, Mullet, but you have to deal with it." I had never experienced something like this before, so, naturally, I had no clue as to what to do in a situation like this. Usually if I had a major cut or something similar, I would wrap a piece of shredded cloth around it. But that was not going to work for my friend; I didn't want to cause him more pain than he was already in.

"If I knew dogs bit that hard, I swear I would not have done that," he mumbled, his words accented with sharp intakes of breath.

"Hush," I chided gently. I rested a hand on Mullet Fingers' bare chest and watched as he slowly turned his head to face me. "You're going to be okay."

"It doesn't feel like it."

I hushed him again then scooted closer to share my body heat. I may not know what to do with the sore, but I had enough sense to know that the wound was sucking all his body heat toward it, leaving him chilled and feverish. Mullet Fingers shivered, and I reached my arm all the way across his chest.

"Thank you, Frost."

I blinked slowly. "For what?"

"Being here for me." His beautiful blue eyes twinkled with gratefulness, and he forced a smile, which ended up as a wince. "Ouch."

"Sh..." Leaning forward slightly, I gently pressed my lips against his in a small but tender kiss. "Please get better," I murmured when I drew away.

"I'll try." Mullet Fingers managed a miniscule but real smile. "Come here." He reached out with his uninjured arm and buried his hand in my still sleep-tangled hair. Delicately, he pushed my head down onto his chest then lowered his arm to wrap around my thin shoulders. "Just lay here with me."

"I think I can manage that," I joked quietly, brushing my lips against his sun-kissed chest. "You're cold."

"And you're warm," he stated. "Why else do you think I'm allowing you to lay on me?"

"You'd allow me to lay on you even if you didn't wanted me to." I lifted my head off his chest and smiled at him. "You just like me being near you," I accused.

"Guilty."

I lowered my lips onto his again, but this time leaving them there for a good ten seconds. I closed my eyes and sighed softly as Mullet Fingers ran his hand up and down my back. When I opened my eyes again, I noticed that my friend's eyes had widened a little but a smile was evident. "Shut up."

He chuckled lightly. "You're the one who kissed me, but..." He lifted his head off the pillow and resumed our kiss. I breathed in his musky, foresty scent as our lips moved perfectly against one another's; it was almost as if we were fated to have this moment. Breaking away momentarily, I reached down and snatched up the quilt he had shoved to the foot of the bed then tugged it up and over our bodies.

"We can't have you freezing, can we?"

"Mm..." Mullet Fingers' eyes closed and he tilted his head back as a groan spilled out from between his lips. "It hurts!" His eyes rolled until only the whites were showing then finally closed as he passed out.

"It's okay," I whispered to his unconscious face. "At least in sleep you can't feel pain." I lowered my head onto his shoulder and planted a kiss on his neck, where his pulse was thudding against his skin. "I'll be right here when you wake up. Promise."

* * *

><p><em>AN: YAY! Second chapter (still at 1 in the morning) I am 90.5% sure that this was the last chapter Frosty the Bat made... (Remember, still 9.5% possibility that it's not.) If so, I shall get started with the next chapter immediately. Hopefully it's almost as good as FtB's! Please review!_


	6. Chapter 6: Hospitals

**FIRST CHAPTER WRITTEN BY ME! XD**

**Please vote on poll on profile and check out the banner I made for this story. Thx!**

**Chapter 6: Hospitals**

I woke suddenly as I heard someone screeching. "What have you done to him!" I propped myself up on my elbows, glancing to make sure that Mullet was still asleep, before glaring sleepily at the blonde-haired girl.

"Would you mind _shutting up_, Beatrice!" I hissed quietly, running my fingernails though the sweating boy's hair as he moaned in pain, subconsciously gripping his bit arm. "He was bit by a dog last night. I didn't know what to do and he didn't want me to leave."

"We have to get some help, or something!" She said, hysterical, but trying to calm herself down. "You think I don't know that!" I asked, trying to get up without shifting Mullet Fingers too much. I sighed in relief when I finally stood next to Beatrice, no matter how much I didn't want to be.

"Maybe Cowgirl can help him," Beatrice suddenly suggested, looking up at my confused face. "Roy Eberhardt," she explained further. My eyes lit up. "That might work."

"It's only lunch break; I have to go back to school. I'll ask him when I can!" She said, taking one last look at Mullet before sprinting outside. "Try to keep his fever down!" She yelled back at me. I bit my lip and looked around, quickly grabbing a water bottle and a rag to use.

"Ugh... F-Frost..." Mullet said, moving around then gasping in pain when his arm touched the bed. "Shh...Shh, I'm here. I'm here," I said softly, putting the damp fabric against his head as he faded in and out of consciousness, hoping the school day would finish quickly.

A few hours later, I heard two sets of footsteps running up the stairs to the boat, after letting their bikes crash to the ground. "I came by at lunch and found him like this. Frostbite was sleeping next to him," Beatrice explained quickly to Roy. He threw off his backpack as Mullet shifted around, kneeling beside him. I stood off to the side, watching worried but making sure that I stayed out of their way.

"The dog got me," Mullet said quietly looking down at his arm, hissing in pain when Roy turned it to get a better look. I stepped forward, but paused, shaking my head and stepping back again as I realized the other boy was just trying to help.

He felt Mullet's head and went to his backpack. "Let me see. I'm going to put some antibiotic cream on for now. But you're gonna need a doctor." Roy said as Beatrice dabbed at Mullet Finger's face, like I was doing earlier.

"Uh, I'll be okay, all right?" Mullet said, looking at me, then hissing again as the gauze was placed on the wound. "How'd you get bit?" Roy asked, putting tape on to hold the gauze down.

"My arm got stuck," Mullet admitted. "Doing what?" The dark-haired boy asked, looking at my friend strangely. "Uhh. I got some little friends I look after over at this construction site. Sometimes Frostbite helps me, but I didn't let her go last night. Anyway, they brought these big dogs to get rid of me. So, I put some snakes around the lot to freak the dogs out. See, I knew the trainer would drag 'em out of there... when he say that they were cottonmouths. Ow," he said, trying to jerk his arm away as Roy continued wrapping his arm.

"Does this have anything to do with that cop car that got painted black? The gators in the toilet?" Roy asked as I walked over and smoothed out Mullet's hair, trying to calm him down.

"If they build that pancake place, those baby owls are toast," Mullet said defensively, sighing as he laid back and looked up into my eyes.

"Yeah. Yeah, I've seen those owls." Roy said, pausing to look up at me when I spoke up. "You have?" I asked, knowing that Mullet would have anyway.

"Why don't they just build somewhere else?" I heard the boy ask; I looked at the ground sadly as Beatrice spoke up.

"We tried to tell them about the nest... But all we got back was this form letter from this jerk named Muckle saying they had all the permits they needed to build. They don't care about little birds. My brother's, and even Frostbite's, been trying to stall them ever since."

Mullet Fingers suddenly gasped in pain again, reaching up the wall and pulling on a pair of pants that he had there. "Hey, hey. You okay?" Roy asked quickly, trying to figure out what had changed so suddenly.

"Ha... are you kidding? Uhh... I feel like a million bucks," Mullet said before pulling himself up to a sitting position, wanting to get out of bed. He stood for only a few seconds, before his knees collapsed from under him. We three quickly caught him.

"Let's get him to the hospital," Roy said, putting Mullet's arm around his shoulders as Beatrice did the same. "N-not... Frostbite..." Mullet said weakly. I looked at the two, hoping they would still allow me to come.

"We can't have two people without a name at a hospital, if the doctor comes for questioning. You can come with us, but you'll have to stay outside," Roy said finally. I nodded with a small but troubled smile, following after them and switching places with them whenever one of them got too tired.

We got to the hospital soon enough and the two quickly carried him inside the ER. There weren't that many people waiting, none actually, as I could see from one of the side windows. Mullet was quickly taken to another room and Roy nodded at me before he went as well.

Later, Beatrice walked out and I quickly ran up to her, questioning what had happened. "The doctor says he'll be fine. I'm sorry, but I have to go make dinner for my dad. I should be back later," she said quickly then jogged off. I stared after her retreating back strangely for a moment before smiling at the good news. He'll be okay.

"Pst! Frostbite!" I heard from above me. Mullet had his head poked out a window.

"What are you _doing _up there?" I hissed nervously, looking around to see if anyone was watching. "I had to sneak out. Roy's parents are here!" He replied quietly.

"How quick can you get down here?" I asked, looking around once more. "Five minutes, tops." He was right. Not even five minutes later, he had snuck down to the first floor, passed all the doctors and nurses, and now stood beside me, ready to go back to the boat.

"Let's go, before anyone thinks of looking around," he said with a grin, grasping my hand and running with me back to out hideout, me laughing all the while. We shortly stood by the harbor and held each other close, sharing occasional pecks on the lips as we thought about our latest escape.

"Well, at least there weren't any cops." He joked, wincing when I lightly smacked his hurt arm, knowing that it still bothered him, no matter what he said.

**A/N: The first chapter written by me! Was it good enough? Please tell me in a review! I don't think it was as long as Frosty the Bat's usually are, but I think it was okay written. I put that cop comment there because I was going to write that cop Delinko in this chapter, talking to Frostbite about "Roy" at the hospital, but then I realized he never actually showed up. *pout* Next chapter will be updated soon!**


	7. Chapter 7: Nature's Creation

**PLEASE VOTE ON POLL ON POFILE!**

**Chapter 7: Nature's Creation**

I looked out the window of the boat when I heard a bike dropped outside. _'It better not be Beatrice,'_ I thought to myself, still remembering a few days ago when she gave us a long lecture about leaving the hospital. We couldn't get a word in.

"Who is it?" Mullet Fingers asked from his place on the bed, sprawled out shirtless, when I sighed in relief. "Just Roy." He grinned with his eyes closed, opening one to stare at me. I rolled my own eyes and went to sit beside him, smacking his shoulder lightly.

"Room service. Here." Roy said when he came inside, making Mullet sit up instantly as a pack of some sort of food was tossed to us. "Oh, thanks," Mullet said. I glared playfully at the blonde when he caught my food with his own, teasingly holding it in front of me.

"Um, how's your arm?" Roy asked, unintentionally distracting my friend long enough for me to swipe my snack while he thought of an answer. Roy tossed us both a drink from his brown bag.

"Eh, fever's gone, but I ache all over," Mullet replied with a grimace, staring at his arm for a moment before looking back up at Roy. "Get in trouble last night?"

"No big deal," The boy assured. "But I had to tell my dad about the owls and Mother Paula's." Mullet shared a look with me and I spoke up, "So, what did he say?"

"He said they can build whatever they want as long as they have legal papers. There's really nothing we can do," Roy answered, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall.

"We?" Mullet repeated incredulously with raised eyebrows.

"You know what I mean."

"You're saying it's a lost cause, right? Hey, come on, Tex. You gotta start thinking like an outlaw." Mullet said, reaching over and grabbing a chip from my bag. I smacked his hand away, pouting childishly when he took it anyway, giving me a peck on the cheek.

"I'm not an outlaw." Roy said as I tossed Mullet a white shirt, silently telling him to put it on. I snickered as Mullet looked at him shocked, only having put his head through the hole of the t-shirt.

"Yeah, you are. Last night at the hospital. That was definitely an outlaw move. You're catching up with Frosty, here." He said, pulling me up with him as he took the garbage to the trash.

"You were hurt," Roy defended himself. Mullet spun around to face the black-haired kid.

"You crossed the line, 'cause you cared about what happened to me." Roy sighed in exasperation, giving me a look. I shrugged with a giggle, knowing how Roy felt as I remembered the time I met Mullet Fingers in Mobile, AL, while he was at military school.

He snuck out a few times to watch the stars in my self-claimed backyard. I met him one day outside and kept seeing him afterwards. He told me about his life back in Florida and I talked to him about my farmhouse. My dad was a drunk and abused me often. The day before he ran away, he came to me and convinced me to leave with him.

"Hey, come on. We've got something really cool to show ya," I said, pulling Roy out of the boat with Mullet following.

"Ever since I was little, I've been watching this place disappear. The piney woods, the mangroves, the creeks, the glades. Even the beaches. And they put up all these giant hotels and only goober tourists are allowed. It really sucks." Mullet said as he led us away from the rusty boat.

"The same thing's happening everywhere." Roy said. I shook my head with a sigh as Mullet tried to explain better.

"Wait, they got mountains where you're from, right?" Mullet asked, wrapping his unhurt arm around my shoulders as I stood in the middle of the two, looking over my head at the other boy.

"Yeah. Miles and miles of 'em." Roy agreed confused.

"That's what we need here. This state is so flat that nothing will stop them from bulldozing it all down, one coast to another. That's why we need to stop them. That's why we're here." I said.

"This your dog?" Roy asked as we walked to the boat dock. Mullet scratched the three-legged dog's head fondly, moving aside to let Roy pet it's back.

"Naw. I got a deal with the dockmaster. I feed his dog and he let's me use his boat whenever I want."

"What happened to his leg?" The younger boy asked curiously.

"A croc got it." I said as I hopped into the small speedboat. I sat, waiting for them, ready to go see Florida's wildlife, again.

"Had to change his name to Skip," Mullet said as he climbed into the boat, sitting in front of me at the wheel. As soon as Roy stumbled into the boat and sat down, we headed off.

"Oh, cool. Watch this," Mullet said as he spotted something in the water. I laughed as his hand dove into the water, coming up with a small fish in his fist. "Take a peek.

"What is it?" Roy asked confused.

"It's a mullet. See, that's why my sister and Frost call me Mullet Fingers. Ain't too many people who can do that, you know?" He said with a smirk before gently putting it back into the water. "Bye, little guy. Swim fast."

We then went sight-seeing. We pointed out alligators, turtles and different types of birds.

"What do you think, Tex?" Mullet asked him suddenly.

"It's really beautiful." He replied.

"Two weeks ago, I saw a gator in here. It was about a nine-footer." The blonde said, trying to get a reaction. I laughed as Roy looked around worried.

"Great. Now you tell me." Mullet chuckled.

"Heh. It ain't the gators you gotta worry about. It's mosquitoes."

"Huh. Can I ask you a question?" Roy asked seriously, making me look up confused. He was still talking to Mullet. _'Good.'_

"Yeah. Sure," Mullet shrugged. "I mean, anything but my real name. I don't need one. Not out here."

"What's the deal with you and your mom?" Roy worked up the courage to say. I froze, wondering how Mullet Fingers would react.

"I dunno. We just... never connected. I-I-I-I don't know. I quit sweatin' it a long time ago, though. I me— Besides, the animals are all I need to get by." I cleared my throat with a raised eyebrow. Mullet laughed and quickly corrected himself. "And Frosty, of course."

I pushed Mullet into the water one time, stopping the boat right before he reached up and pulled me in after him. We grabbed onto a log underwater and saw a manatee. I grinned at him and quickly swam up for air, going to see how Roy was doing.

"Did you see the sea cow?" I asked breathlessly. He nodded, laughing a bit, then pointed behind me. I turned to look but squealed as I was pulled under again. I opened my eyes and glared at the blonde, shoving him away playfully before pulling him up to the surface with me. The boys erupted into laughter, at least Mullet did (since Roy already was), until I pushed his head under. Roy only laughed louder.

As soon as Mullet Fingers and I were done messing around, we pulled ourselves back into the boat and dried off with the towels I thought to place in the boat a few days ago. Mullet then took us to more shallow water, so that we could teach Roy how to cast a net. He was actually really good at it, for a first-timer.

"That was great! And they're tearing stuff like that down?" Roy asked incredulously. I nodded solemnly. "And still will in the future. That's why Mullet Fingers and I are trying to save it," I said, smiling up at my blonde friend. Roy nodded, understandingly, then said he had to go home. It was getting late.

"Do you think Beatrice will be at the boat?" I asked Mullet as he wrapped his arm around me and led us 'home'.

"Let's hope not. She didn't seem like she was finished the other day," Mullet said with a laugh. "I guess we're lucky she hasn't had the chance to come back yet, although I would like some of her food." I chuckled and shoved him a little.

"You and your food," I said before sprinting off. "Hey, get back here!" He yelled, chasing after me. Well, no going to the Mother Paula's lot tonight.

_**A/N: So sorry if that background went against whatever else was said in the story, I can't remember reading any part of her past when she met Mullet, so I decided to put that there! And about the net casting, I don't know if that's what they were doing (I don't fish, or anything near it.) but that's the best I could come up with! And some of the chapter is from the deleted scenes, but I don't think anyone has a problem with that, right? -.^ YAY! This story WAS longer than the last! (By at least 500 words!)**_

_**Oh, and I don't know if I should go ahead and let her call Mullet Fingers 'boyfriend', instead of just 'friend'. Any help?**_


	8. Chapter 8: Admissions

Yay! I've been reborn! I'm a 1 year old baby that knows how to write a complete chapter on a computer! Just kidding, but that would be so cool. Yes, I am alive and I am writing this chapter. And here... we... go! (Joker line, fell in love over the summer!) SO SO SO sorry that it had been so long!

**Chapter 8: Admissions**

Mullet Finger's wound had finally healed, but tonight I had forced him to stay home instead of going to the construction site. I sat on his lap and laid my back against his chest while he rested his chin on my shoulder, watching the reflection of the moon in the gentle waves. The sea breeze circled around us, making me shiver and Mullet wrap his arms tighter around me for warmth. I breathed deeply, mustering up the courage to ask what was on my mind.

"Mullet?" I asked, not continuing until I was sure his attention was fully on me. "What are we? Together, I mean. Friends? Couples?"

He stayed silent for a few moments, making my heartbeat increase with dread. "Well, what do you want us to be?" He finally asked.

"Boyfriend and girlfriend." I answered softly. He chuckled, making me turn away, thinking it was a rejection.

"I could have sworn we already were. I don't kiss Roy, and he's my friend, isn't he?"

"Well, he's a guy..." I trailed off sheepishly.* "I just wanted to confirm it."

"Stupid," he said with soft eyes, turning my head around and kissing me full on the lips. I melted at his touch and leaned further into the kiss, wrapping my arms around his neck. I gasped as his lips left my own and trailed down to my neck, nibbling and sucking on it. I pulled him away and brought his lips back to mine as our hands wandered each others' bodies.

"I love you, Frostbite." He said, looking deep into my blue eyes, pausing his motions.

"I love you, too, Mullet Fingers." I whispered back, tears of happiness gathering in my eyes. We soon fell asleep on the beach in each others' embraces.

**(The Next Night)**

Mullet had snuck off without telling me, but I knew exactly where he was heading. I quickly followed after him, making sure not to kick any rocks or step on any twigs as I snuck up on him.

"What are you doing?" I asked my boyfriend, hiding my chuckle when he jumped and whipped around to face me.

"Frostbite? What are you doing here?"

"I thought you promised you weren't going to do this until we were sure your wounds were completely healed?" I questioned with a raised eyebrow, crossing my arms. He winced and held his arms out, trying to convince me to let him stay.

"They moved the date up again. I have to help these little guys," Mullet replied desperately, gesturing to one of the burrow owls in it's hole.

"I know. And I'm going to help," I told him determined.

"Frosty, I know I should still be in bed – wait, what?" He asked, staring down at me confused.

"I understand." I said softly, cupping his cheek in my hand. "They're my friends too, you know. Now, let's get to work. I'm pretty sure you need some help getting that chair off, right? I mean, that is what you were doing." I stated, looking up at the large construction machine. He grinned wide and beckoned me forward, kissing my cheek thankfully and telling me his plan. We immediately got to work and I giggled, imagining Roy and Beatrice's face when they found out what we did.

The next day, Mullet and I sat up in a tree with the seat, snickering quietly as we heard Roy and Beatrice's voices getting closer.

"It's not like them to disappear. They must be up to something," Beatrice said, making me roll my eyes at her step-brother across from me.

"Don't worry. We'll find them," Roy assured her. Mullet Fingers held a finger to his smiling lips then pushed the seat out of the branch. The seat crashed in front of them and they jumped back in shock before glaring up at us. Mullet jumped out of the tree first then caught me as I stumbled, grinning wider at my blush. Beatrice and Roy both laughed astonished.

"What is that thing?" Roy asked, gesturing to the seat.

"A seat," I said with a grin. "It's a bulldozer seat," Mullet continued for me.

"What are you two doing with it?" Beatrice asked, grin slowly fading.

"What can you do with a bulldozer without a seat?" I asked coyly.

"Absolutely nothing." Mullet Fingers bragged, locking his hands behind his head.

"Don't tell me you two stole–" Roy started, only to be cut off by Mullet.

"You're gonna love this. Come on, we'll show ya."

We led them to the construction lot and watched the bald man open his trailer door, sitting his food down when he noticed something wrong with his machine. The mouse traps were still set and the man walked faster, climbing up the bulldozer worried.

"Not the seat. You gotta be kidding me." He groaned.

"Let's go," Mullet said, moving us closer.

"What am I gonna tell Muckle now?" He asked hopelessly, jumping onto the dirt ground and staring up at the sky.

"You can start by telling me why I shouldn't fire you." A man in a suit said, sneaking up behind the first. I grasped Mullet Fingers' hand tightly in my own.

"Oh! Goodness gracious! Mr. Muckle! We wasn't expecting you until tomorrow."

"Yes, Mr. Brannit. I came a day early. I'm gonna be sticking the silver shovel into somethin' at that groundbreaking ceremony tomorrow. I want it to be free of you-know-whats." Mr. Muckle said, walking closer to the front of the bulldozer where we were hiding. Mr. Brannit agreed. "We're bulldozing today."

"Today?" We all quietly echoed Mr. Brannit, looking at each other horrified.

"This obviously wasn't something I could count on you to handle unsupervised." Mr. Muckle said, looking at the burrows in the ground.

"Yes, sir, but today is gonna be a little difficult." Mr. Brannit said hesitantly.

"Speak." Mr. Muckle ordered, standing up straight.

"Well, we had another incident, sir." The construction worker admitted. "And this time, someone took the seat off the bulldozer."

"What's the quickest you can get a new seat?" Mr. Muckle asked.

"Well, I guess I could head over to construction supply in Fort Meyer," Mr. Brannit said.

"Go there, get it right now," Mr. Muckle said, quickly leading him towards the bald man's truck. "I'll keep an eye on things here and make sure nothing else happens. Oh, and Brannit, on your way back pick up Miss Nixon at the hotel. I want her in her Mother Paula's costume for a dress rehearsal at 3 o'clock sharp. And if you run into anyone, you keep your trap shut about all this, you got it?"

"Yes, sir." Mr. Brannit said weakly.

"Good, go."

"Mr. Brannit, I just want to say that I've been trying like the dickens down here–" Mr. Brannit started, until Mr. Muckle cut him off rudely, ordering him to get to work. _Poor guy. _The man quickly ran off as Mullet and I led Roy and Beatrice away, sharing fearful glances.

We ran back to the boat without rest, laying around inside. I watched Mullet Fingers pace as I bit my lip harshly, thinking of a plan to delay them longer.

"Today? I can't believe this." Mullet groaned. "I _can't_ believe this."

"We've got to do something," Beatrice spoke up, eyebrows creased with worry.

"Well, yeah, I'm gonna do something." Mullet hissed.

"Like what?" Roy asked. "We can't just barge into this without a plan," I told my boyfriend.

"Well, first I'm gonna hotwire Muckle's precious Hummer. I'm gonna hook it up to that construction trailer–" Mullet started, then was cut off by Roy.

"Wait a minute." "That's crazy," Beatrice chimed in. "And drive 'em to the edge of the canal, put a brick on the gas pedal, and release the emergency brake. It'll sink like a rock pretty quickly," Mullet continued as if they never spoke. "And that'll give me time to come up with somethin' that'll really freak them out."

"Mullet, that will stop them for a while, but then they'll just start building again.

"Plus, if you do that you'll end up in jail and then nobody in town will be in the mood to hear the truth." Mullet sighed and slumped into the seat beside Beatrice, grabbing my hand across the table.

"We're the only ones who care." Mullet sighed.

"We're the only ones who know," Roy corrected. "We've gotta let the town know what Muckle's up to and stop this construction once and for all."

"That's what we've been trying to do," Beatrice told him exasperated. "These idiots around here won't give a dang. They're all too excited about having a stupid pancake house," Mullet said angrily.

"We need to show other people what is going on," I told him.

"I _know_ that, Frosty, but how?" He asked.

"They're trying to do this without other people finding out, right? What if we bring a lot of people there today and show them what's actually going on?" I suggested.

"But how would we do that?" Beatrice questioned. I just shrugged helplessly.

"I've got an idea. If it doesn't work, you're gonna do what you have to do. But can we at least try Frostbite's and my way first?" Roy asked. Both siblings glanced at each other and Beatrice shrugged, saying it was worth a shot.

"Alright. So, what's your brilliant plan?" Mullet asked as Roy leaned forward.

"So here's what we're gonna do..." Roy started and a grin overcame my face as he explained his idea. This could actually work...

**A/N: Once more, so sorry that I updated so late. I made it about an entire page longer, just to make up for it. I'm thankful that people still want me to continue it! ONLY TWO OR THREE CHAPTERS LEFT! So excited! Please review!**

*** Not against GuyXGuy, I swear. Just look at my profile's favorite stories ;D**


	9. Chapter 9: SAFE!

Chapter 9: SAFE!

As Roy and Beatrice went around the town alerting the others of Mr. Muckle's 'change in plans', Mullet Fingers and I were forced to stay behind. Our heads shot up as Mr. Muckle walked out of the trailer, slamming the door behind him as he wiped the sweat off his face.

"Where is that idiot?" He muttered to himself. We watched from behind the bushes as he grabbed a fire extinguisher, glaring at the ground. I tilted my head confused then sent Mullet a look, asking 'what is he doing?' Mullet Finger shrugged, then crouched and moved closer, giving me a signal to follow him.

"Thinking about crashing my party? How 'bout a little arctic blast to change your mind?" Mr. Muckle continued to talk aloud. I quietly gasped when I saw him spray the fire extinguisher into the owl holes, quickly slamming my hands over my mouth to keep the evil man from noticing. Mullet clenched his fists beside me and grit his teeth angrily. The man laughed and sprayed another, mocking the owls. He sprayed another and Mullet grabbed the fishing net, storming up to the man.

"I wouldn't do that again if I were you." He said, eyes narrowed into a glare. I walked up behind Mullet, glaring at the man with my arms crossed over my chest.

"Who's gonna stop me, you?" Mr. Muckle chuckled. "Her?" He asked, gesturing with the hose of the extinguisher to me.

"You asked for it." Mullet said, putting the handle of the net in his mouth.

"What are you going to do? You gonna throw your little butterfly net? Is that what you're going to do?" Mr. Muckle taunted then the net fell over his head. He struggled to get out, setting off the extinguisher a few times. "Hey. Ok, you just made a big mistake, nature boy," he hissed, then groaned as Mullet tugged the rope and he fell to the ground. I chuckled at the man who squirmed like a trapped fish, stepping up beside my boyfriend.

"Ouch," Mullet Fingers said, trying not to grin.

"Roy's gonna be so mad at us," I said amused.

"Yeah, yeah. Just help me move him into the trailer." Mullet Finger said. I rolled my eyes and grabbed the man's legs, yelping when he tried to kick my head, and Mullet grabbed his shoulders. We slowly made our way into the trailer and sat the struggling Mr. Muckle in a chair.

"Find something to tie him up with." Mullet Fingers said and we searched through the room, coming up with a rope and some duct tape. I wrapped the rope around his torso and the chair as Mullet bound his legs and taped his hand to the chair's arms. I got the sweet taste of satisfaction as we looped the tape around his mouth.

"Finally, some peace and quiet!" I said relieved. Mullet grinned at me and I took a step back, looking over our work. "Do you think we should have taken the net off?"

"Nah, he'll be fine," Mullet waved off my concern.

I glanced at the digital clock sitting on the desk and nudged Mullet. "We should get going, it's already 3:25. Roy and Beatrice should be here soon." He nodded and we moved back outside, hearing the motor of a boat coming closer. We moved to the bank of the river beside the lot, seeing Beatrice and Roy pulling up.

"How'd it go?" Mullet Fingers and I asked.

"You're never going to believe this." Beatrice said.

"Uh... We ran into a little trouble." Roy said and I cocked my eyebrow. Mullet gave them a hand out of the boat. "The police are after me and we're out of time."

"Hah! You should see what Mullet's got us into!" I laughed, winking at him when he scowled at me. Beatrice and Roy looked at me confused.

"Aw, just come on!" Mullet Fingers said. We moved around the broken bulldozer and went inside the trailer.

"What are we doing here?" Beatrice asked before we could get a word in.

"Yeah, what's going on?" Roy asked and Mullet Fingers sighed, opening up the door to the office of the trailer. Mr. Muckle screamed, red in the face, at the two newcomers and I winced, rubbing the back of my neck sheepishly when the two turned to look at us stunned. Mullet shut the door again, muffling the gagged protests.

"You can't do this!" Roy shouted.

"It just happened," Mullet defended, eyes wide.

"He was trying to kill the owls!" I told them.

"What were we supposed to do?" Mullet asked.

"We gotta get him out of here now before people start..." Roy said, pointing a finger at us, before he moved to peek out the door window. "...showing up." He sighed exasperated. He shared a look with Beatrice and in my mind I related them to parents who had a naughty child.

"Too late." Beatrice said. Mullet Fingers rolled his eyes.

"Damn, that's a lot of people." I said, peering out the window. "So, uh, did we ever decide what we were going to do when they got here?" I asked them, making them look at me wide-eyed. "Of course not."

Beatrice peeked out the window once more and saw a man walking towards the trailer then immediately went outside to stop him. "Hi, Mayor Grandy." We heard her say before our attention was turned back to dealing with Mr. Muckle.

"We can't just keep him like this!" Roy said, crossing the room, opening the door, and gesturing to the pathetic man.

"Well, why not?" Mullet asked.

"Because we'll get in even more trouble!" Roy said.

"Mullet, they're already in enough trouble. Just because we'll be safe doesn't mean they will," I told him. Roy suddenly looked like he remembered something then started rifling through the organized papers on the desk.

"What are you doing?" Mullet asked confused as I moved to stand beside them.

"I'm looking for the other copy of the environmental report." He said and found a manila envelope. I glanced back as Mr. Muckle started struggling more.

"Well, whatever that is, it doesn't seem like Muckle wants you to find it." I pointed out to them.

"Bingo! Page 5. Yes!" Roy said. Mullet moved out of the viewing of the window, pulling me back with him.

"There's a cop walking this way. Let's go!" Mullet Fingers said, pushing us to Muckle's room then out that door, just as the cop knocked on the door. Thankfully Mullet remembered to close the door between the two rooms.

"What are we going to do!?" I asked the two as we quickly walked away from the trailer.

"We're going to stick to the plan." Roy told us. "You need to let these people know what's going on–"

"What?" I asked confused. "Roy–"

"Not us. We can't be seen." Mullet Fingers said seriously. "Only you can do this, Roy. _You_ have to tell them."

"Ok." Roy said nodding. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good luck, Tex." Mullet said with a grin, cuffing Roy lightly on the shoulder before pulling me with him to the cover of the trees where we'd be able to watch without anyone seeing us. We crouched in the bushes as Roy walked on stage, talking to the mayor for a moment before moving to talk to the crowd. He looked nervous, but when he started speaking, he had everyone's attention. Mullet and I grinned at each other and Mullet kissed my temple, pulling me close.

"Who likes pancakes?" Roy started out and the majority of the crowd raised their hands. "Yeah, me, too. I love pancakes. And a pancake house will be great in Coconut Cove. But not here. Not in this spot because somebody was here first and they still are. They're little baby owls." People started looking up in the air for the birds and I chuckled, gripping Mullet Fingers' hand.

"No, not up in the trees, but in the burrows you see all around. And if you build a Mother Paula's here, you're gonna kill some really beautiful animals. Now, just think about that as you're chowing down on your key lime pie pancakes." Suddenly the bulldozer started up near us and we saw Mr. Muckle at the wheel, grinning. He drove it forward and Mullet Fingers and I crept closer to the site. People were starting to move out of the way and Mr. Muckle stood up.

"Hey, Coconut Cove!" He said hands in the air. "Welcome to pancake house number one hundred!" He cheered then sat back down. Mullet Fingers moved from my grip, standing in front of the bulldozer before the man could run over anymore holes.

"Mullet!" I hissed, then sighed with a fond smile on my face and a roll of my eyes. I moved up to stand next to him, clutching his hand and a little pale. The bulldozer seemed a lot bigger when it's moving towards you. It stopped about a foot from us.

"Get out of the way, kids!" Muckle yelled irritated.

"You want to bury those owls, you got to bury me, too!" Mullet yelled back.

"And me!" I said determined.

"Me, too." Roy said, joining us.

"That makes four of us," Beatrice stated, hands on he hips.

"We will not let you kill these owls." Roy told him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, these kids are a little misguided," Muckle told the confused crowd. "They have no proof of any owls! You folks see any owls? 'Cause I don't."

"Why would they come out of their holes while everybody's here?" Mullet asked him. "All we do is make noise! Cars. Trucks. Bulldozers!" Mullet said, gesturing to the machine. "All we do is scare them!"

"Yeah!" Roy agreed. "No wonder we don't see them. Maybe if we all just be quiet, they'll come out." He suggested to the crowd. We all turned to glare at Muckle as he made the bulldozer's engine roar. A policeman got up on the machine and turned it off, looking to Roy.

"Go ahead, Roy." He said and I grinned, turning to my dark-haired friend.

"Why don't we try it?" He acknowledged the crowd. "Let's all be quiet for one minute. Just sixty seconds, ok?"

"This is absurd!" Muckle put in and we glared at him again.

"Ok?" Roy asked again and they all nodded in agreement. "Everybody ready? Go." They hushed each other and we all started looking around for hints of the owls. We four shared anxious glances when none were popping up, then Beatrice spotted one. I smiled wide, holding Mullet Fingers' arm, then gasped when a few more popped up in the burrows around us. I chuckled when I saw that one had a couple babies. We had actually done it.

"Put your hands behind your back, please, sir. You're under arrest for violating state permits, operating a bulldozer without a license, and, uh, a lot of other stuff." The officer said, cuffing the man. We all clapped and I shared a wide grin with Mullet Fingers. I chuckled as the owls fled into their burrows again at the sudden noise.

"Ladies and gentlemen of Coconut Cove." 'Mother Paula' said from the stage, drawing back everyone's attention. "Ladies and gentlemen. Excuse me, Mr. Mayor. Ahem. I would just like to say that I, Mother Paula, am simply shocked by what has gone on here today. And you, young man, are no longer an employee of Mother Paula's. You're fired."

"You can't do that. She's crazy!" Muckle said as the crowd cheered. "I do the firing! She's only an actress." Everyone booed him.

"And, Mr. Mayor, I would like to donate this land to your town as an owl sanctuary!" She said and my lips quirked up amused as I tried to fight a laugh.

"Can she really do that?" Beatrice asked, arm on Roy's shoulder.

"She just did. And on live TV." Roy replied and I chuckled. He laughed with me.

"Mother Paula, that's a grand idea. Folks, doesn't that sound like a grand idea?" The mayor asked and the crowd cheered again. "And let me assure you my office is going to launch a full investigation into how the presence of these fine little creatures was overlooked."

Mr. Muckle was taken away by other cops and Mullet Fingers and I slipped away without Beatrice or Roy noticing.

We both smiled as we watched Roy and Beatrice hug their family and friends.

"Looks like we did a good day's work." I stated, hands on my hips. "Maybe we should take a day off."

"A day? Hah! With all the work we did, we deserve a week at the least, Frosty!" Mullet Fingers laughed, picking me up and spinning me around. "We did it!"

"Yeah, we did, didn't we," I said with a wink, moving in to peck him on the lips. He shot me a look as I pulled away and then yanked me close to him, giving me a long kiss that was well overdue. A couple of kids had changed the fates of tons of helpless owls.

Though our story was now over, we still visited the owls every now and then. The Mother Paula's company was forced to go through with the promises the actress made that day, due to the bad publicity. Now it serves as a wildlife preserve. Beatrice and I had, through everything, become tentative friends, but we we're quite there yet. Mullet Fingers still had hope though. When it came to Roy though, we always had a way for him to know we wanted to talk.

As we walked along the beach with the fishing net, Mullet Fingers pointed out a sign. A lighthouse was to be destroyed for another hotel building. Roy rolled his eyes at our looks and nudged us on with a smile. Florida definitely had it's own way of keeping us busy.

THE END

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><p>AN: IT'S FINISHED! YES! I FINALLY GOT AROUND TO DOING IT! YES, THIS REALLY DOES HAVE TO BE IN ALL CAPS! It has been a year and a half since I updated and I must say that I am SO, SO SORRY! I really have no excuses except for laziness, but it's done now! I love all my reviewers and I'm so glad you stuck with me this long! Thanks again and I hope you all are as sad as I am that it's over! I liked how it ended, though I felt that I could have done more with the romance side of things.


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